Next Tuesday, March 19, two of Canada’s finest underground rock bands, Apollo Ghosts and Jock Tears, are descending upon O’Ryan’s Irish Pub in Ashland for a night of raucous indie rock and punk music performances.
Indie rock band Apollo Ghosts, currently comprised of members Adrian Teacher, Amanda, Robbie, and Luke formed in 2008 in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Touring with the likes of Japandroids and Wolf Parade, Apollo Ghosts steadily released award-nominated albums such as 2010’s Mount Benson before disbanding in 2013. After embarking on several musical projects since then, Teacher reformed the band in 2019 along with the current lineup.
Teacher sat down with The Siskiyou’s Connor Thompson to talk about the reformation of Apollo Ghosts, the upcoming tour, and the band’s future plans.
It’s been six years since Apollo Ghosts disbanded- and now you’re back in action in 2019! What drove you to reform the band? Was it by coincidence, by plan, or did the time just seem right?
We decided to reform the band for a few reasons! It was the ten year anniversary of our first album, Hastings Sunrise. A friend of mine, local Vancouver legend named Chris-a-Riffic, secretly played that album front to back on piano and posted it to Youtube without telling me. Then he got me to play a little house show. I forgot how much I enjoyed and missed the songs! We also added a new member, Luke, to the band to play drums. Amanda wanted to change things up and play bass. Things just aligned and we went for it!
During Apollo Ghosts’ hiatus, you were involved with quite a few musical projects, including COOL TV, Arbutus, and Adrian Teacher & The Subs. Have those projects influenced the musical direction in which Apollo Ghosts is headed now?
I think it was really important to play different styles of music and play with different people over the past six years. I realized that everybody I played with was so special and that each person brought their own unique flavor to whatever terribly boring chords I was coming up with. I think going forward I won’t be so afraid to bring ambient music, dance music, or different kinds of tunes to the band.
This spring, you’re embarking on a West Coast tour alongside fellow Vancouver, B.C. Canada band Jock Tears. How the idea for this tour came about?
They are such a great band, especially live. They are really kind people and we’ve known them for a long time. Jock Tears have toured the West Coast and they know how to get the party started. They are down to earth, funny and all amazing artists in their own different ways. How could we not [tour with them]?
This March, Apollo Ghosts and Jock Tears are performing at O’Ryans Irish Pub in Ashland. Why did you choose to play a show in Ashland? Are you familiar with the music scene here, or did you hear about Ashland some other way?
Jock Tears told us we absolutely had to play Ashland. They said the last time they played IPub that people in the audience were stuffing money into their pockets as they left the venue and that there was a lithium water fountain in the middle of the town? I have never been to Ashland, but I’m excited to vibe the place. I’m also excited to play with Skyler and the Gang and the Music of Frank Ellis. From Google Earth [Ashland] looks like a really cute place.
Over 5 years, Apollo Ghosts released three full-length LPs, including the Polaris Music Prize nominated Mount Benson, and a collection of EPs. Are there any plans to add to that discography in the near future now that the band is back together?
We’re absolutely going to record a new record. We’ve already recorded some new songs as a four piece at a studio called JC/DC here in Vancouver, where they produce all the New Pornographers and Destroyer records. I’m really excited about the music we’re making now. We’ll try to debut some new songs on the road- hopefully we won’t mess them up!
